Rossendale

Rossendale's population grew in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in health and religion.

The population reached nearly 68,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Rossendale increased by 3.6%, from just under 65,700 to 68,000.

The addition of just over 2,300 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Rossendale was home to, on average, 3.5 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was similar to the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Health improved

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's well-being.

The percentage of Rossendale residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% in 2001 to 6.5% in 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (79%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Rossendale residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Rossendale decreased by 4.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Rossendale, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Rossendale

The number of people in Rossendale that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 9,100 in 2001 to about 17,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 25% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the North West (from 10% to 20%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Rossendale that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 50,000 in 2001 to about 43,000 in 2011 (from 76% to 64%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from just over 4,600 to just over 4,300 (from 7.0% to 6.4%).

Just over 2,600 people (2.9%) said they were Muslim, up from about 1,900 in 2001 (3.8%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Rossendale increased by 11 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Rossendale by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer homes with children

The percentage of households with children fell in Rossendale at a faster rate than across England.

In Rossendale, the proportion of households with children decreased from 33% in 2001 to 30% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England decreased from 30% to 29%.

Across the North West, the share of households with children decreased from 30% to 29%.

The proportion of households without children in Rossendale increased from 58% to 60%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents increased from 9.5% to 9.8%.

The proportion of households with children was higher than across the North West

Percentage of households that with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Rossendale working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 12% to 9.5% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.5%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.4% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Rossendale decreased by 2.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Rossendale, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in Rossendale, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 9.6% to 12% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 3 in 10 (31%) households had only a single person, compared with 29% in 2001. The percentage of households in Rossendale, which comprised a married couple (with or without children), decreased from 38% to 34%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 7.9% in 2001 to 9.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Rossendale increased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Rossendale, the North West and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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